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Shredded Beef Taquitos are a tasty lunch or snack and a perfect way to use up leftover pot roast. Crisp on the outside, tender beef inside; so yummy!
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Shredded Beef Taquitos are our go-to meal when we have leftover Sunday roast, which we do quite often. Our mom would always make a giant roast dinner for Sunday and we always had tons of leftovers. These quick and easy taquitos make the very best lunch or after school snack.
If you don’t have roast leftovers, don’t worry! You can make one specifically for this taquitos recipe, using either an Instant Pot or Crockpot. Couldn’t be easier! We have all the details outlined below. Tender, juicy beef with cheddar cheese and wrapped in a crispy corn tortilla. Such a delicious way to breathe new life into leftovers!
Ingredients in Shredded Beef Taquitos
The ingredient list is short for these delicious taquitos. Keep in mind, you can also use shredded chicken or pork if that is what you have on hand.
- Corn tortillas
- Roast beef
- Dry onion soup mix
- Tabasco sauce
- Cheddar cheese
- Cooking oil
Preparing the Beef for Taquitos
We have three easy methods for preparing the beef for taquitos. You’ll notice that we season the beef with onion soup mix and hot sauce, but you can season it according to your tastes. Salt, pepper, garlic powder, chili powder, taco seasoning, cumin, and green chiles are all seasonings that will flavor the roast beautifully. Choose what works best for you!
Oven Method
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
- Sear beef on all sides in a large fry pan.
- Place roast in an oven-safe roasting pan with onion soup mix, water, and hot sauce.
- Cover and cook for 3 hours (for a 3 pound roast).
- Remove beef from roasting pan and shred.
- Reserve the juice, freeze it, and use it as beef stock for another recipe. It makes a delicious gravy or stew.
Instant Pot Method
- Brown the roast on each side in the Instant Pot.
- Sprinkle onion mix on roast, then add water, and hot sauce.
- Cook on high pressure for 1 hour.
- Use the slow release to release the pressure.
- Remove roast and shred.
- Reserve the juice, freeze it, and use it as beef stock for another recipe. It makes a delicious gravy or stew.
Crock Pot/Slow Cooker Method
- Sear beef on medium-high heat on all sides in a large fry pan or large skillet.
- Place roast in crock-pot with onion soup mix, water, and hot sauce. Heat on low for 8-10 hours.
- Remove beef from crock-pot and shred.
- Reserve the juice, freeze it, and use it as beef stock for another recipe. It makes a delicious gravy or stew.
Tips for Making the Perfect Shredded Beef Taquitos
- To get that perfect golden crispy shell on the outside, fry each corn tortilla for about ten seconds on each side in hot oil, and let them dry on a paper towel.
- Working quickly, add shredded cheddar cheese, then the shredded beef mixture. Add the cheese first, so it won’t melt out of the shell.
- Bake the taquitos seam side down on the baking sheet until they’re sealed, then turn over and bake some more until they’re golden all the way around.
- These taquitos are delicious served with sour cream, salsa or our delicious homemade guacamole. You can also stir a couple of tablespoons each of salsa and sour cream together for a creamy salsa dip.
- If you have lots of beef to use up, make a bunch of these taquitos. You can keep them in the refrigerator for a few days and they also freeze really well. You can store them in a freezer safe Ziploc bag or airtight container for up to two months. To re-heat, just pop them in the oven or microwave for something quick to eat.
Questions
Taquitos are usually filled with shredded beef, chicken, or pork along with shredded cheese. Ground beef taquitos are also common, and you can also use ground turkey.
Taquitos means “little taco” in Spanish and is the same thing as a rolled taco. Both refer to meat and cheese rolled up in a corn tortilla that is baked or fried, then are typically dipped in salsa or guacamole.
The difference between flautas and taquitos is the type of tortilla, the fillings are similar. Flautas are made with flour tortillas while taquitos are made with corn tortillas.
To keep the corn tortillas from breaking when rolling your taquitos, try warming them up before rolling them. You can warm them in a pan or in the microwave for just a little bit.
Read Next:Our Best Mexican Recipes
What to Serve with Shredded Beef Taquitos
Eat these on their on as a snack, or add them to a larger Mexican meal. Try some of our very favorite recipes:
How to Make Shredded Beef Taquitos
Shredded Beef Taquitos
Ingredients
- 2 pounds lean roast beef
- 1 envelope dry onion soup mix
- 1 cup water
- hot sauce a few shakes
- 1 pound cheddar cheese shredded
- 30 small corn tortillas (or 20 large corn tortillas)
- cooking oil
Instructions
- Heat oil on medium heat. Fry corn tortillas in hot oil for 10-12 seconds on each side. Drain on paper towels.
- Add a little cheese and shredded beef to each tortilla and roll up. Be sure to add cheese first then the beef so the cheese won't melt out.
- Place taquitos seam-side down on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 400-degrees for 6-8 minutes.
- Turn taquitos and bake for another 6-8 minutes or until taquitos are nice, golden brown, and slightly crispy on all sides.
- Serve with sour cream, salsa, guacamole, and/or nacho cheese dip.
Notes
To Prepare the Shredded Roast Beef:
Oven Method
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
- Sear beef on all sides in a large fry pan.
- Place roast in an oven-safe roasting pan with onion soup mix, water, and hot sauce.
- Cover and cook for 3 hours (for a 3 pound roast).
- Remove beef from roasting pan and shred.
- Reserve the juice, freeze it, and use it as beef stock for another recipe. It makes a delicious gravy or stew.
Instant Pot Method
- Brown the roast on each side in the Instant Pot.
- Add onion mix, water, and hot sauce.
- Cook on high pressure for 1 hour.
- Use the slow release to release the pressure.
- Remove roast and shred.
- Reserve the juice, freeze it, and use it as beef stock for another recipe. It makes a delicious gravy or stew.
Crock Pot/Slow Cooker Method
- Sear beef on all sides in a large fry pan.
- Place roast in crock-pot with onion soup mix, water, and hot sauce. Heat on low for 8-10 hours.
- Remove beef from crock-pot and shred.
- Reserve the juice, freeze it, and use it as beef stock for another recipe. It makes a delicious gravy or stew.
I have a question … can I warm the tortillas in microwave for easy rolling and once filled, fry them till crispy?
Fry them instead of baking?
Thank you
Sure!
These came out so good! Great way to use up my leftover pot roast from yesterday’s evening meal. The only thing I did different was air fry them instead.
Instead of cooking it on low in a crock pot will I be able to do it on high instead ?
Yes. It won’t be quite as tender, but it will still turn out! Make sure to adjust the cook time accordingly.
Do you have a stove top recipe?
We haven’t tested a stove top recipe. Sorry!
Hi,
Don’t know if you have a Dutch Oven but I usually cook my roasts in one of those at 325 for 3-4 hours. Comes out very tender and you can shred it up!
I did stove top tonight. Worked perfectly! Low heat with lid (gas stove top) for 5 hours. Flipped halfway through.
Thank you for this great recipe, what a delicious way to use leftover pot roast!
so yummy – just like grandma used to make
I love taquitos! I will admit I always bought the frozen premade ones, lol. I need to make these!
Such a genius way to use up leftover pot roast! These are so crunchy and delicious! A total family dinner win for us.
YUM! I’ve usually had chicken taquitos – these are our family’s new favorite!
Can the roast be done in the instant pot?
Absolutely! It would work out great!
If I’m in a little time crunch and cook the meat on high, how long would I need to cook it for?
You can do the meat for 4 hours and it should be good. 🙂
This looks wonderful. My husband and three girls love taquitos.
I have a question, I looked but probably missed it. Roughly how many does this serve? Nothing exact needed, I just need to know if I need to double it for my family of six =)
Thank you in advance
Typically it serves 4-6. If you are using all 30 shells each person would get 5 taquitos. It also depends on how full you stuff them. If I were you I would do 1 1/2 and then freeze any leftovers (they re-heat great)!
My corn tortillas keep breaking and opening. How should I get them to roll tighter and not break?
Try warming them up before rolling them, you can warm them in a pan or in the microwave for just a little bit.
That worked, thank you so much!
These look so good. Going to make them this weekend. Can they be frozen? What step would you freeze them at?
I freeze them AFTER baking. That way they are crisp already when you thaw them– and they are easier to microwave 🙂
I just made these today. I didn’t have any roast so I used ground beef and they were delicious.
Thank you for letting us know! We are all for improvising with what you have in your fridge!
I want to make these and freeze them. could you please explain that process to me.
I'm wanting to know at what step should I freeze them? how long I should cook them in the oven and at what temp from a frozen state?
thank you so much
courtney
Yum, I tried these and LOVE THEM!!!
Yum, I tried these and LOVE THEM!!!
I LOVE taquitos. These look so yummy!
Susan http://www.ugogrrl.com